Tension regulating mechanism



Nov. .13, 1945. w. B. HEINZ 2,389,047-

TENSION REGULATING MECHANISM Filed July 3, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I 6; 156 7%rnegsi Nov. 13, 1945. w. B. HEINZ 2,389,047

TENSION REGULATIR JG MECHANISM Filed July 3; 194a 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TENSION momma MECHANISM Winfield n. Heinz, Bound Brook, N. .1.

Application July 3, 1m,- Serial No. mas:

6 Claims. (01. 242-715) This invention relates to winding machines and more particularly to that type of winding machine in which a strip is wound from one to another of a pair of rolls. A typical machine of this character is the ordinary dyeing :Iig in which the material is alternately wound from one to another of a pair of rolls and during its passage to the other roll is submerged in dyeing or liquid treating baths. Obviously, in driving such a machine. it is diiilcult to maintain the material under anything approximating a uniform tension, this diflicultyarising principally from the constantly varying diameters of the winding rolls, due to which there is a constant variation in the rotative speed of the rolls and in the linear speed of the strip passing from one to theother thereof.

An important object of the present invention is the provision of an attachment for machines of this character which may be readily applied to existing machines or incorporated insuch machines without any substantial variation in the present structure and which will enable maintenance of a substantially constant tension throughout the entire transfer operation regardless of the direction of the movement of the strip. I

A further and more specific object of the invention is the utilization of the characteristics of the common differential in maintenance of such constant tension. A still further object of the invention is the provision of. means for automatically controlling the drive to such rolls in a manner such that the roll having the smaller diameter is always driven, thereby maintaining a much more nearly uniform strip speed than is possible where the drive-is constantly'applie'd to one of the rolls.

These and other objects I attain by .the con.-

strucidon shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration, 1 have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein:

Figure 1 isa diagrammatic view illustrating the application of my invention to the dyeing .ilg;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic illustration of a modified form of my invention in which means are provided for automatically transferring the drive from one to another of the rolls of the machine; and

F'igure 3 is a semi-diagrammatic perspec ve partially in section illustrating a type of switch which may be utilized in the control of Figure 2. I

Referring now to the drawings and-more par-- ticularly to Figure'l thereof, numerals II and Ii designate winding rolls and l2 a driving motor .therefor. This motor drives a shaft it, which,

selector switch i5, may be connected to the drive shafts I6 and I1 propelling the rolls I0 and II respectively. In accordance with my invention, the drive shafts l6 and II are extended and connected respectively to the cage [8 'and one.

gear I! of a differential gear 20. The second gear 2i is driven by a' torque motor 22 supplying constant torque to the gear. This torque motor is for convenience of illustration shown as an electrical motor, but may obviously be substituted for by any of the well-known mechani-- cal forms. It will be noted that while the differential gear employed is mechanically identical with the differential as utilized in an autodrive shaft of an automobile. with this connection of motor 22, the motor constantly tends to turn shafts l8 and i1 inopposite directions and in winding directions and the motor ac-', 'cordingly tends to constantly attempt to wind material on both winding rolls thus maintaining a continuous tension in the material M without regard to the direction in which this material may be traveling. This torque will'be con- .stantly that applied by motor. 22 and aecordingly will remain constant during the entire 'pass of material M from one to the other of the rolls. It is essential that the gearing be so arranged that shaft 22 will stand still when the two roll in and Ii are equal in size and the shafts i6 and ii are turning at identical speeds. Although the exact values and combinations of shaft speeds and gear ratios are. matters of me-' chanical' design, the assemblywhich is schematically illustrated in Fig. 1 will operate correctly if the speed and gear ratios are as follows: 5

Speed of roll 10 when rolls are equal in size R. RM... 50 Speed ratio between gears 49a:50a 1:1 Speed of shaft 16 R. P. M.. 50 Speed ratio between gears 470:480 1:1 Speed of shaft 24 R. P. 11.. Speed ratio between gears 48:19 2:1 Speed of gear 19 ...R. PAL- 25 Speed ratio between gears 19:21a (when gear 21 is standing still) 1:2 Speed of gear 211: and shaft 17..-.R. P. M..- 50 Speed ratio between gears 50:49 1:1 Speed of roll 11 R. P. M..- 50

Although the scheme of connection to the differential as shown in the. figures isdesirable from the standpoint of mechanical convenience, it should be recognized that with suitable alternative arrangements of external gearing. the differential would serve equally well if the two roll drive shafts were connected to the two differential gears, with the torque motor connected to the cage. In other words, any or the three elements of the differential may be connected to any of the torque motor or rolls, the mode of connection to be used in any' given case being merely a matteroi design practicability.

The torque applied by motor 22 may be regulated as desired. In the present illustration of an electrical torque device, this may be accomplished by engaging the material M with a tension roller 25 operating against a spring 1'. Movements of this roller du to variations in tension may be utilized to .control a rheostat 21 controlling the output of motor 22. In mechanical torque motor; the movement of roller 2! may be utilized to operate a pressure regulator or other means for varying the output of the motor.

In the operation of the apparatus, the motor It operates at a constant speed and always in one direction. One or the other of the clutches I4 is energized through switch it resulting in the driving of the corresponding winding roll it or II. lit the end or a pass the switch II is reversed to cause winding upon the other or the winding rolls. Throughout this operation, the

motor 22 exerts a continual torque, always in one direction, which tends to rotate the winding rolls in opposite directions, thus exerting a continual tension in the material M regardless of its direction of travel. Since the motor I! is a constant speed motor, the speed of motor 22 will automatically adjust itself to compensate for the diilerence in the instantaneous speeds of winding rolls II and II. when winding roll it turns faster than the roll H, the motor 22 will rotate in one direction; when winding rolls II and II are of equal size and rotate at identical speeds, the motor 2! stands still and when the eifective diameter of the winding roll II is less than that of the winding roll II, the direction of rotation of the motor a will be reversed. Itegardless of its speed or direction of rotation, the

motor 28 hasbeen exerting auniformtension" onthematerial.

.In the form of inventionshowninrlgures 2 and 3,the winding rolls 2. and Ilaredrivenby areversibie motor I. The driving connections areauchthattherollsaredriveninthesame direction, a reversal of direction or travel or th materialllbeingobtainedby reversingthedirection of operation of the motor". As in the and It areextended flofwindingrollsl l 'connectedtoagearllandaca'geflofadifi'erential II and the torque motor is connected to the second gear of the differential. The re"- versing switch 81 controlling the direction of operationofmotorileervelinreversalofmotor II to likewise reverse connections to ma netic clutches It and it, determining which of rolls a and II is driven by the motor 30, The circuits o! clutches l8 and it include a reversing switch it controlledbythe direction ofrotation oi'sbaftli oimotorlt. Asuitableswitohior this purpose is semi-diagrammatically illustrated inrigureta'ndcomprisesadisc'ltsecuredto shaft I, a spring-pressed disc ll confronting the disc I! and havin frictional engagem nt therewith,andacontactarmuearriedbythedisc l8 and coacting with contacts ll and d0. Buring the rotation of shaft 4i inone direction, the

g will move to the contact, It, thereby opening the circuit of the previously energized magnetic clutch and closing the circuit of the other thereoi, thus transferring the drive of motor it from one to the other of the winding rolls II and II.

10 It will be recalled from the description of operation in connection with the form of invention shown in Figure 1, that when a pass is started the shaft of the torque motor willrotate in one di.--

rection and will continue to do so until the effec- 8 tive diameters of the winding rolls are equal.

At this time, the rotation of the torque motor shaft ceases and subsequently reverses in the direction of operation. This reversal takes place as the initially driven winding roll 28 or it at- 20 tains a-somewhat larger diameter than'that oi the undriven roll. At this time, the switch it becomes eflective and disconnects the drive oi motor it from that roll which was originally driven and transfers it to the roll having the 25 smaller diameter.

In order that shaft ll stand still when shafts ll and 32 are turning at identical speeds, the gear should be proportioned as already described in connection with Fig. 1.

a It will be seen that ui this rel-m of the invention, the torque motor drive serves not only to maintain a constant tension in the material ll,

. butlikewiseservesasameansformaintaining the drive of motor II to the roll having the smaller diameter. The fluctuation in linear speed in material I will accordingly amount to enlistintiallyone-halfthatnormaloccurringduringthe passfrom onetotheotheroftherolls. Thetension control ll, 20, ll, hereinbefore described in 0 connection with Fig. 1, may obviously be utilised "to control theoutput of the motor 30. since the constructions herein illustrated are obviously capable of modification without departing irom thespiritofmyinvention,ldonowishtobe s understood as limiting myself thereto, except as hereinafter claimed. 1 I claim:

cause rotativespeedofonerollwlthrelationtothe.

10 motor having driving connection with said rolls 3. m a machine for winding material irom one to another oi a pair of rolls, means to selectively drive said rolls in the same direction, a diiIerential having one of its elements in driving relation to one roll and a second element in driving relation to the other roll, and means controlled by the direction of rotation 01 the third element oi the difierential for automatically transferring the drive from one to theother of said rolls.

4. In a machine for winding material from one to another of a pair of rolls, means toseiectively drive said rolls in the same direction, a diflerential having one of its elements in driving relation to one roll and a second element in driving relation to the other roll, means controlled by the direction of rotation oi the third element of the differential for automatically transferring the drive from one to the other of said rolls. and a torque motor constantly tending to drive the last-named element of the diil'erential in direction.

one'

5. In a machine for winding material iro one to another oi a pair of mils. means to selectively drive said rolls in the same direction, and

means controlled by the relative rotative speeds Y of the rolls for automatically transferring the drive from one to the other of said rolls.

8. .The combination in a winding machine oi a pair of rolls,'means to selectively drive said rolls to cause material to be wound fromone upon the other thereof, means to automatically maintain said drive in engagement with the more rapidly rotating roll of said pair, a diflerential having one oi its elements indriving relation to one of the rolls and a second element in driving relation to the other of said rolls, torque means to exert a unidirectional rotative eil'ort on the third element of the diflerential, and means to control the degree of rotative eilort of said torque 'means by the tension of the material between the rolls. .a

WINFIELD B. HEINZ. 

